Fix Acrobat Installation Says Safari Must Be Closed on Mac
Question details
Users are unable to install or update Adobe Acrobat on Mac due to a persistent error message asking to close Safari or Safari notification processes.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Installing or updating the Adobe Acrobat application on a Mac computer.
- Observed behavior
- An error message continuously blocks the installation process, stating that Safari or 'SafariNotific' must be closed, even when the browser appears to be shut down.
Ensure you have saved your work and bookmarked any important open tabs in Safari, as you will need to forcefully close background processes to resolve this conflict.
Force Quit Safari and SafariNotific via Activity Monitor
Manually shutting down hidden Safari notification processes using the macOS Activity Monitor usually resolves the installer conflict.
Even when you close the main Safari browser window, background services like 'SafariNotific' (which handles web push notifications) often remain active. The Acrobat installer cannot proceed if these tied processes are running.
Press Command + Space to open Spotlight Search, type 'Activity Monitor', and hit Return to launch the application.
In the search bar located at the top right corner of the Activity Monitor, type 'Safari' to filter the active process list.
Locate 'SafariNotific' or 'SafariNotification' in the list. Click on it, then click the 'X' icon at the top of the window and select 'Force Quit'. Do the same for the main 'Safari' process if it is still listed.
Once the background processes are completely terminated, launch your Adobe Acrobat installer or updater again.
Restart Mac and Run the Installer Cleanly
If forcing processes to quit does not work because they automatically restart, rebooting your Mac ensures a clean slate for the installer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Acrobat installer need Safari to be closed?
The Adobe Acrobat installer often updates browser extensions, such as the Adobe PDF viewer for Safari. It cannot successfully overwrite or update these specific files if Safari or its associated background services are currently using them.
What is the 'SafariNotific' process on macOS?
SafariNotific is a built-in background process associated with the Safari browser. It specifically handles push notifications from websites you have allowed to send you alerts, and it remains active in the background even when the main browser is closed.
Do I need to completely uninstall Acrobat to fix this error?
No, a complete uninstallation is rarely necessary for this issue. This is usually just a file-in-use conflict. Force-closing the conflicting Safari processes via Activity Monitor or simply restarting your Mac is almost always enough to let the installation proceed.
